Work garment



June 9 1942- L. A. wlcKMAN 2,285,692

WORK GARMENT l Filed April 8, 1940 2` sheets-sheet 2' figl E Egf7 Q E` E 1" Q E ,ZZ AIJEQQLE. E

El-QJZy Figli l f 35 j EA@ A Z3 ,y 2 figli 'l y I 29 fig@ v (m. @n/m@ L rH/5 ATTORNEY 4 INVENToR E'. l mue/ n. w/cK/wA/v- Patented June 9, 1942 TES viren sr TENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

My invention relates to a workmans garment; and particularly to overalls for Welders.

It is among the objects of my invention to provide a work garment having an improved crotch and fly structure.

Another object is to provide an overalls construction which is designed for maximum comfort and convenience for the wearer.

Still another object is to provide a welders overalls so constructed as to minimize the likelihood of sparks `becoming caught in the seams to burn the garment.

A further object is to provide an improved pocket for holding welding rods.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of my invention. It is to be understood that I do not limit myself to this disclosure of species of my invention, as I may adopt variant embodiments thereof within the scope of the claims.

Referring to the drawings: t

Figure 1 is a front View of an overalls embodying the improvements of my invention; and

Figure 2 is a rear View of the same.

Figure 3 is a side View of the garment with the belt buckle unfastened to show the gusset.

Figure 4 is a detail view illustrating the crotch and fly; the latter being turned back and portions of the garment being broken away to show the construction more clearly.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional View of the rod pocket, taken in a plane indicated by line 5 5 of Figure 1.

Figures 6 to 16, inclusive, are plan views showing the patterns of the various blanks from which the garment is made.

In terms of broad inclusion, my work garment comprises trouser portions having a bib and suspenders connected at the waist. A separate piece is inserted at the crotch to give added room and flexibility, and a slide fastener is provided in this crotch piece. A iy is also provided at the front to cover the crotch piece and slide fastener. The seams between the parts of the garment are designed and positioned to avoid catching sparks. Gussets lare arranged for comfort and convenience in putting on and removing the garment; and an improved pocket is provided for holding Welding rods.

In greater detail, and referring to the drawings, the work garment or welders overalls of my invention' comprises leg portions each formed from a front section 2 and a rear section 3 stitched together 'along an inner side seam 4 and an outer side seam 6. The rear sections of the leg portions are joined by a seam 'I along the seat, which meets the converging inner seams #l adjacent the crotch. These seams are preferably formed with a suitable welt stitched between the parts. Figures 6 and 7 show the blank patterns for the front and rear sections of the left leg; the patterns for the right leg being a reversal of these parts. These blanks may be of any suitable material; leather being preferred for a Welders garment.

Front leg section 2 (Figure 6) comprises a generally rectangular blank having a reversely curved outer edge 8 and a concave inner edge 9. The latter curve terminates at a pointed tongue II to provide a fit at the -crotch structure. A straight edge I2 is provided between tongue I I and the upper edge of the blank. Rear leg section 3 (Figure 7) also comprises a generally rectangular blank with slightly curved 'in'- ner and outer edges I3 and I4. The inner edge is cut back rather sharply along the upper region I6 to make a proper t along the seat seam l. It is to be noted that front section 2 is somewhat wider than the back section, this being done to position the leg seams 4 and 6 rearwardly as shown in Figure 2. This construction presents an unobstructed garment surface toward the front and places seams 4 and 6 at the rear where there is little likelihood of catching sparks.

A bib I'I, the blank o'f which is vshown in Figure 8, is secured to the upper edges of the front sections along waist seam I3. This seam (Figure 5) is preferably formed by stitching the Aedges and then folding the bib upwardly and stitching again. Since the Vbib material overlaps the leg sections with the folded edge downward, the seam tends to shed sparks.

Suspenders I9 are secured to the rear leg vsections 3, being preferably stitched between the sections and an overlying belt 2l. A triangular reenforcement piece 22 -is also secured to the' suspender straps and -leg sections below the cross-over. Figures 10, 14 and 16 show the blanks for a suspender strap, reenforcing piece and the belt.

Triangular gussets 23 are preferably inserted Vbetween the front and rear leg sections adjacent the waist and at the lower ends of the legs. Figure II shows a blank for one of these gussets. The lower gussets provide a flare for the legs and make it easy to put on and remove the overalls. Upper gussets 23 give additional room at the waist, provide for greater exibility in the garment, and allow for changing the waist band size. Belt 2| at the back fastens to buckles 24 on front sections 2, thus providing adjustable means for fastening the sections together at the waist.

An important feature of my garment resides in the crotch structure. As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the crotch piece 2S is inserted between the leg portions of the garment, between sections 2 at the front and terminating between sections 3 at the back. The blank for this piece, illustrated in Figure 13, is an elongated strip tapering along straight edges 21 at the front end and tapering more sharply to a point along curved edges 28 at the rear end. This crotch piece is interposed between sections 2 at the front of the garment and is folded back and then up to the intersection between back sections 3.

The upper front edge of the crotch piece is caught by waist seam I3, and edges 21 are stitched to edges I2 of the front sections. Tongues I I provide a t with the backfolded portions of the crotch piece; edges 28 of the latter being stitched to the tongues and to edges I3 of the rear sections. A slit 29 is also arranged in the front portion of the crotch piece to receive a slide fastener 3 I. The mid-portion of the crotch piece is somewhat wider than the normal spacing between the legs of the garment at the crotch, so that excess material is provided for added room and flexibility.

This excess material at the crotch is particularly important in a work garment because of the activity of workmen on the job. A Welder for example works kneeling as well as standing, and in many other difficult positions where the crotch portions of the garment are spread apart. Unless a garment is designed with this in mind the seams at the crotch are subjected to severe strain and many work clothes give way first at this point. With my improved crotch structure however this weakness is overcome by providing enough excess material to accommodate the eX- treme positions assumed by the wearers legs. The crotch structure also adds materially to the comfort of the wearer, and facilitates putting on and taking off the garment.

The crotch piece and slide fastener are covered at the front of the garment by aV fly 32. This fly preferably has side edges 33 diverging downwardly, see Figure l2. In secured position the upper edge of the fly is caught between bib Il and leg sections 2 at waist seam I8. One side of the ily is permanently fastened along substantially the entire edge to a leg section by stitches 34, while the other side is permanently secured only along a portion of the edge by stitches 36. Snap fasteners 31 releasably hold the unsecured portion of the latter edge. As illustrated in Figure 1, the depending y forms a protective skirt over the crotch structure for shedding sparks.

Pockets are also provided on the garment. A back pocket 38 is an ordinary patch pocket, the

blank for which is shown in Figure 15. An improved pocket is also provided on a front leg section of the garment for holding welding rods. As illustrated in Figure 9, this pocket is formed from a strip 39 foldable along a dotted line 4I. Referring to Figures 1 and 5, the folded strip is secured along the upper edge of its back panel to leg section 2 by stitches 42 which continue down along the sides of the pocket to catch the edges of both front and back panels. The upper edge of the front panel is turned over and so held by stitches 43. As added reenforcement, a binding strip 44 is also engaged by stitches 42 and is folded back and secured by stitches 46. The binding strip also preferably extends down along the sides of the pocket. This pocket structure thus has panels integrally connected at the bottom for strength and provides a double thickness of material between the welding rods and the wearers leg.

I claim:

1. A work garment of sirbstantially nonstretchable material comprising leg portions connected together at the back along a seam eX- tending downwardly toward the crotch, a crotch piece inserte-d between the leg portions and having an end terminating at the base of the back seam, said piece being materially wider than the normal spacing between the leg portions to form a pocket-like part connecting the leg portions at the crotch and to permit wide separation of the leg portions at the crotch, and means affording access to while protecting from injury the urinary organ of a male wearer, said means including a fly overlying the crotch piece and secured at its opposite sides to the front of the garment and having a lower free end adapted to be lifted to expose said crotch piece, said crotch piece having a vertical slit therein under said ily, and means for closing the slit.

2. A work garment of substantially nonstretchable material comprising leg portions connected together at the back along a seam eX- tending downwardly toward the crotch, a crotch piece inserted between the leg portions and having an end terminating at the base of the back seam, said piece being materially wider than the normal spacing between the leg portions to form a pocket-like part connecting the leg portions at the crotch and to permit wide separation of the leg portions at the crotch, means affording access to while protecting from injury the external urinary organ of a male wearer, said means including a fly overlying the crotch piece and secured at its opposite sides to the front of the garment and having a lower free end adapted to be lifted to expose said crotch piece, said crotch piece having a vertical slit therein under said fly, and means for closing the slit, and a bib connected to the leg portions along a waist seam, said crotch piece and y each having an upper edge caught 'between the bib and leg portions at the waist seam.

LAU'RI A. WICKMAN. 

